Prevalence and Relatedness of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains in the Feces and on the Hides and Carcasses of US Meat Goats at Slaughter

We determined the prevalences of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feces, hide, and carcasses of meat goats at a U.S. processing plant. Prevalences were 11.1%, 2.7%, and 2.7%, respectively. Sixteen pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtypes were identified among 49 E. coli O157:H7 isolates, some of which were present on multiple sample types or collection days.